India, UAE deepen consular cooperation at Abu Dhabi meet

India and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday renewed their commitment to strengthening cooperation on consular, visa and legal matters at the sixth meeting of the India–UAE Joint Committee on Consular Affairs (JCCA) held in Abu Dhabi.

The Indian delegation was led by Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary (Consular, Passport, Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs) in the Ministry of External Affairs, while the UAE side was headed by Omar Obaid AlHesan AlShamsi, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The talks were preceded by technical-level discussions between officials of both countries.

Officials said the meeting took place in an atmosphere of traditional warmth that has come to define the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

"Both sides underlined that the strong people-to-people connect — anchored by the large Indian community in the Emirates — remains at the heart of the relationship. India thanked the UAE authorities for the consistent support extended to the welfare and safety of Indian nationals working and residing in the country," a senior MEA official said.

Reviewing developments since the last JCCA meet held in New Delhi in May 2024, the delegations agreed to further intensify cooperation in the consular, visa and legal domains.

The two sides discussed ways to ensure quicker information-sharing and smoother consular access, expedite coordination on Mutual Legal Assistance and extradition cases, and progressively liberalise visa procedures. They also agreed to institutionalise a review mechanism to track progress across these areas.

The meeting concluded with both countries reiterating their commitment to safeguard the dignity and well-being of each other’s citizens living abroad. It was decided that the seventh round of the Joint Committee will be held in India in 2026 on mutually convenient dates.